twitter lessons from the Muppet’s Swedish Chef

Swedes are so-so on him but the Swedish Chef, the classic Muppets character, remains a cultural favorite. Add one part pop culture featuring tweeting chefs (see: the premise of last year’s Chef), and two parts nation of self-proclaimed foodies and “social media experts,” you get a soupy mix, of, well:

Twitter Lessons from the Swedish Chef

Shall we call these lessons from the “Tweetish Chef”?

Are You Making Any Sense?Let’s get real: most Twitter users, and the Swedish Chef, share a lot of unintelligible chatter. Ask yourself, am I just having a laugh? Or am I building genuine connection with others?

Lesson: Strive for real connection. For example, use the #hashtags your audience recognizes, or be okay with being the only one talking. #whyisntanyoneusingthishashtagitsgorgeous

Does Your Comedy Translate?
The Swedish Chef sketches rely on physical comedy. Online that’s expressed with emoticons and memes, which can quickly become outdated or awkward. It might make you feel like flipping a table, circa 2010:

╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

Lesson: Try for humor that doesn’t date you (too quickly). As Wired recently reported: “I’ll see your emoticon in court!” The Swedish Chef is silly now because he was just as similarly silly when introduced in 1975. Keep it simple.

Are Your People on Twitter?
Witness the funeral home with a “like us on Facebook” announcement. Sad. Where’s my “those marketing people are six feet under” emoticon?

Lesson: The Swedish Chef knows his audience. He is with the times but he isn’t trying to convince anyone who wouldn’t naturally be a follower.

What’s Next

Mmm…. Delicious agreement with David Infante’s (@dinfantay) review of the film Chef last year:

Chef feels like a painfully late Hollywood response to something that 2008-me might’ve unironically called the “food truck revolution”. With its insistent inclusion of Twitter and exclusion of Instagram, Snapchat, etc., it only draws its datedness into sharper contrast.

Social media will continue to evolve and therefore a bunch of “social media tips” quickly expire. Audiences will have great ability to move their attention elsewhere, too. What can be done?

Here at orobora we offer newswire services — a broader view of “social” management and marketing. We oversee the development and distribution of content with an eye toward constant improvement. The answer is simple: there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Genuine business communication is increasing heading to one-on-one.

As for Twitter? Well, if you still use it and need your “food porn pix fix,” I suggest following @chefiab. Whatever media or muppet you relate to best, remember, there is always a delicate balance between order and chaos.